Prevention
Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment for the Zika virus. Your
best protection to avoid infection is to prevent mosquito breeding
and protect yourself from mosquito bites.

Prevent Mosquito Breeding
• At least weekly empty or get rid of cans, buckets, old tires, pots,
plant saucers and other containers that hold water
• Keep gutters clear of debris and standing water.
• Remove standing water around structures and from flat roofs.
• Change water in pet dishes daily.
• Rinse and scrub vases and other indoor water containers weekly.
• Change water in wading pools and bird baths several times a
week.
• Maintain backyard pools or hot tubs.
• Cover trash containers.
• Water lawns and gardens carefully so water does not stand for
several days.
• Screen rain barrels and openings to water tanks or cisterns.
• Treat front and back door areas of homes with residual
insecticides if mosquitoes are abundant nearby.
• If mosquito problems persist, consider pesticide applications for
vegetation around the home.

Protect Yourself from Mosquito Bites
• Wear Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect
repellents. When used as directed, these insect repellents –
including those that contain DEET – are proven safe and
effective even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
◦ Mosquito Repellent Available as a Statewide Benefit
• Cover up with long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Keep mosquitoes out with air conditioning or intact window
screens.
• Limit outdoor activities during peak mosquito times.

People who are traveling to areas where Zika is being spread should
protect themselves from mosquito bites while abroad and for 21
days after returning home to help prevent themselves from
becoming infected, and to keep from spreading the virus to
mosquitoes in Texas in case the travelers were exposed to Zika.

Zika can also be spread from a pregnant mother to her fetus.
Protect Against Sexual Transmission
If you have Zika, it's important to protect others from getting sick
by avoiding mosquito bites the first week of illness and by following
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance
for prevention of sexual transmission and advice for Women &
Their Partners Trying to Become Pregnant.

The CDC also recommends that:
• Pregnant women should discuss with their health care provider
their own and their sex partner’s history of having been in
areas with active Zika virus transmission and history of illness
consistent with Zika virus disease.
• Pregnant women with sex partners (male or female) who live in or
who have traveled to an area with active Zika virus
transmission should consistently and correctly use barriers
against infection during sex or abstain from sex for the
duration of the pregnancy.
• Men and women who want to reduce the risk for sexual
transmission of Zika virus should use barrier methods against
infection consistently and correctly during sex or abstain from
sex when one sex partner has traveled to or lives in an area
with active Zika virus transmission.
Take Action in Communities
• Initiate or enhance monitoring and surveillance of mosquito
activity.
• Accelerate mosquito abatement efforts.
• Develop a local contingency plan for mosquito abatement and
surveillance; plan for additional control measures if needed.
• Encourage people to report illegal dumpsites and standing water,
and respond quickly to these complaints.
• Implement efforts to clean up illegal dumpsites and collect heavy
trash.
• Keep public drains and ditches clear of weeds and trash so water
will not collect.
• Treat standing water with larvicide (such as mosquito “dunks”)
when it cannot be drained and the water will be present for
more than seven days.
• Conduct neighborhood outreach about precautions people can
take to protect themselves and their families from mosquito
bites.
Protection for Outdoor Workers
If you work or spend a lot of time outdoors, there is a greater
chance that you could be bitten by a mosquito that may carry the
Zika virus.

Although rare, the Zika virus may also be among the
causes of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition in which your
immune system attacks part of your nervous system.

When you’re outside:
• Use insect repellents according to the CDC's guidance. When
used as directed, these insect repellents – including those that
contain DEET – are proven safe and effective even for
pregnant and breastfeeding women.
◦ Mosquito Repellent Available as a Statewide Benefit
• Wear clothing that covers their hands, arms, legs, and other
exposed skin. This can include hats with mosquito netting and
socks to cover your ankles.
• In warmer weather, wear lightweight, loose-fitting pants and
long-sleeve shirts.
Improve your outdoor settings:
• Remove standing water in cans, bottles, buckets, tires, wheel
barrows or any container that can hold water.
• Cover trash cans or containers where water can collect.

More information about preventing Zika Virus and Controlling
Mosquitoes at Home is on the CDC website.